Filling feeler



Feb. 5, 19 35.

C. T. KAY

FILLING FEELER Filed Oct. 8, 1934 INVENTOR.

62 4005 7 hit).

ATTORNEY.

. UNITED STATES PATENT O E Patented Feb. 5, 1935 Q I 1,990,332 Y v FILLING FEELERQ Claude Terrell Kay, Goldville; S. assignor to I Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass.,fa cor- 'poration of Maine Application October 8, 1934, Serial No. 747,335

'4 Claims. 01. 139287)' g The present invention pertains to filling feelers for looms, and more particularly relates to the blade and tip construction of the side-slipping type of such feelers.

feelers with a feeler blade having at the rearward end thereof an integral or rigidlyattached filling engaging tip which is adapted to cause the'slipping of the feeler blade when the tip encounters the bare surface of the filling carrier. The filling carriers for feeler looms are wound with a bunch of filling which is so positionedand of suchia size as to provide filling thread for the weaving operations which occurusub'sequent to the slipping of the feeler but prior to the replenishment of the filling supply. The feeler should beso constructed that it will not slip too vsoon, thus causing waste by leaving too,much filling on the filling carrier, and it should slip as soon as the filling supply is depleted to .a, predetermined extent.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a feeler having a side slipping feeler blade to which is pivoted'a filling engaging feeler tip, and a spring holding the tip tilted so that the tip will not slip on the filling carrier until all of the filling except the bunch is unwound from the filling carrier.

Further objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing of I of the feeler after the filling supply becomes partially depleted;

, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the feeler tip;

and r Fig. 4 is a detail, partly in section, of the feeler tip, the same being shown tilted against the action of its spring. I

The feeler shown on thedrawing as embodying the present invention includes a housing or stand 1 which is adapted to be mounted on the loom (not shown) in a horizontal position, with the feeler blade pointing rearwardly toward the filling carrier 2. A feeler blade 3 which includes a rearwardly extending arm 4 is supported on the stand and, in the present embodiment, is adapted for forward and rearward sliding movements and a pivotal movement. A spring 5 normally holds the feeler blade against stops 6 and 7.

The filling carrier movesforwardly and rearwardly relative to the feeler, in the usual manner,

It is common practice to provide side-slippingand the pivotal movement of the feeler blade, occasioned by its slipping along the filling carrier, actuates the trip wire 8. The feeler 'as thus far described may be of any suitableusual'construction, but .is shown as being identical'with the .cor-. responding parts in patent to Brown and Repas No. 1,593,426, grantedJu1y20, 1926. V

Av feeler tip 9 is mountedupon the rearward free end ofthe arm 450 that the curved and toothed filling engaging surface 10 of the tipis in position to be struck by the filling F on the filling carrier. Engagement of the tip by the filling prevents the feeler blade from partaking of its sideesli'pping movement. This act-ionJof .the feeler should continue until the filling supply is depleted slightly more than is indicated on Fig. 2, and then the tip should slip along the filling carrier," without fail, so that replenishment may occur before the filling supply is completely exhausted.

The feeler tip of the present invention is pivoted to the arm 4 of the feeler blade, in order that thesurface 10 may conform to and thus grip the surface of the filling package. To this end, the tip proper may be seated in the channel of a channelled holder 11, preferably of sheet metal, and is held therein as by rivets 12, 12. The holder has an opening 13 in the closed side thereof, through which opening the arm 4 extends. A pin or rivet 14'extends through the holder and arm and forms the pivotal connection between the tip and feeler blade. A side 15 of the opening constitutes a stop to limit pivotal movement of the tip.

I find it desirable that the tip be biased about the pin 14 so that the leading end 16 of the filling engaging surface be held rearwardly of the other or trailing end of such surface. This surface, as shown, extends beyond the axis of the arm 4 on both sides thereof. Accordingly, when the filling package is flat, or level, as in Fig. 1 itwill strike the leading end of the surface 10 and pivot the tip clockwise to the position represented by Fig. 4. At this time there is ample filling to prevent the blade from side-slipping. Later, when the filling supply is nearly down to the bunch B and there is danger of premature slipping, the tilted position of the tip is of material advantage in preventing such premature slipping, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2.

The spring means of the present invention for holding the tip tilted is comprised of a single spring 17 the rearward end of which is fixed to the tip. Conveniently, the rearward end of the spring 13 into a space between the tip piece 9 and the closed side of the channelled member 11, whereby the spring is securely held in place. The

spring extends forwardly along, or beside, the

I feeler blade projectingrearwardly from the stand,

a filling engaging tip pivoted to said feeler blade and having a toothed feeling surface, and aspring fixed to said tip laterally fromthe pivot thereof, said spring extending forwardly along said feeler blade and having its forward end bent to bear against the feeler blade and thereby biasone side of'said tip rearwardly of the other side thereof.

2. In a filling feeler, a stand, a side-slipping feeler blade projecting rearwardly from the stand, a tip holder pivoted to the rearward end of saidv feeler blade, a. feeler tip fixed in said'holderand having a toothed feeling surface, said surface being curved and extending; laterally beyond the axis of said feeler blade on both sides thereof, and a spring fixed to said holder atone side of the pivotal axis of the latter, said springextending forwardly along said feeler blade and being bowed into engagement with the latter to thereby yieldingly maintain one end of said feeling surface rearwardlyof the other end thereof;

3. In a filling feeler adapted for use with a It will filling carrier having a bunch wound thereon, a I

stand, a side-slipping feeler blade projecting rearwardly from the stand, a filling engaging tip pivoted to the rearward end of said feeler blade,- said tip having a curved and toothed filling en gaging surface which extends laterally beyond the axis of said feeler blade on both sides thereof,

said feeler'being adapted to bepositioned so that the trailing end of said surface partially overlaps the bunchon the filling carrier, and a spring for yieldingly holding said tip tilted with the leading end of said surface rearwardly of the other end thereof, said spring being fixed at one .end to said tip and extending forwardly therefrom along said feeler blade and bowed into engagement with the latter. 4. In combination, a -filling erally movable arm, a tip holder comprised of a channelled member having an opening in the closed side thereof, said arm extending through said opening vwhereby the sides of the latterform stops to limit pivotal movement of the holder on the arm, a pivot pin comprising a, pivotal connection between said holder and said arm, a feeler .tip fixed in the channel of said holder and having a filling engaging surface, and a spring feeler blade of the side-slippingtype including an endwise and lat- 

